Singer songwriters BETH HART and COLIN BLUNSTONE are the latest additions to our feature series, ahead of May UK tours.

The GRTR! Greats series was launched in March 2025 with singer songwriter Thea Gilmore and reflects Get Ready to ROCK!'s coverage of significant artists since 2003.

Says News Editor Jason Ritchie: "The artist selections represent persistent coverage but also a degree of recognition and consistency amongst several GRTR! reviewers."

Beth Hart was first reviewed at The Fly venue in London's New Oxford Street in October 2008

Pete Feenstra commented "What distinguishes Beth is both her very physical stage presence, her soulful, breathless rock meets blues vocal style, and the fact that her songs never flinch from exploring the constituents of her own psyche."

Since Get Ready to ROCK!'s early coverage (from 2003) Beth has worked regularly with Joe Bonamassa whilst releasing 9 solo studio albums.

Pete Feenstra has supplied a new analysis of Beth Hart in the latest feature.

Colin Blunstone found early fame fronting The Zombies, a band especially popular in the States, but since the early seventies has had a parallel solo career.

In 2001 he and Rod Argent started working together again and ultimately revived The Zombies name after touring with original members Chris White and Hugh Grundy.

Blues Rock/Features Editor Pete Feenstra has described Blunstone as "one of the primary vocalists of our time."

>> GRTR! Greats

The Year So Far (January - March)

January

The UK’s recorded music market grew for an eleventh consecutive year in 2025, according to figures from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Overall consumption of recorded music – across both sales and streams – rose by 4.9% in 2025, reaching a new high of 210.3m albums or their streaming equivalent.

The music streaming market surpassed 200bn streams for the first time in 2025, with a total of 210.3bn across the year. Streaming now accounts for a record 89.3% of music consumption in the UK. Sales of vinyl also increased for the eighteenth consecutive year, with all physical formats up 1.4% overall.

Manchester City Council created a £245,000 discretionary fund for grassroots music venues which will be administered by the Music Venue Trust. Venues across the city will receive targeted financial support early this year.

Record Store Day will take place on Saturday April 18.

February

Neil Young has cancelled all his planned UK and European dates for this year. He has gifted his entire music catalogue to the people of Greenland for free.

Twisted Sister cancels 50th anniversary celebration performances due to the sudden and unexpected resignation of Twisted Sister’s lead singer Dee Snider brought on by a series of health challenges.

Marillion release a 25th anniversary edition of ‘marillion.com’ on June 19 via earMusic.

Aerosmith release ‘Aerosmith (Legendary Edition)’ on March 20 as a limited-edition deluxe 5LP box, a 4LP slipcase, black and colour vinyl, 3CD, CD, and digital. Steven Tyler and Joe Perry have newly mixed the original recordings and tapes with Zakk Cervini and Steve Berkowitz.

March

Sharon Osbourne and promoter Andy Copping are currently planning a Black Sabbath classical tour which is set to be orchestrated by Ozzy’s keyboards player Adam Wakeman.

Ozzy Osbourne was posthumously honoured with a BRITs Lifetime Achievement Award.

Alice Cooper’s autobiography, ‘Devil On My Shoulder’, is published on October 8 by Ebury Spotlight. He has announced a spoken word tour around the same time in the UK.

RIP Producer (Fleetwood Mac, Eric Clapton) and blues champion Mike Vernon; Phil Campbell, Motorhead guitarist 1984-2015, and latterly fronting Phil Campbell’s Bastard Sons.

Compiled by Jason Ritchie

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